


Maybe I'll just burn the damn tree down

by kingiamesbible



Category: Fantastic Four, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Affectionate Insults, Christmas Presents, Christmas Tree, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, RIP me, domestic superheroes are my LIFE ok, johnny isnt happy, late tho sorry, peter loves the christmas tree more than he loves johnny, shadi made me ship this so hard damn u shadi, this is also REALLY GAY, this is another gift drabble rip, this is shorter than i wanted it to be im real sorry pal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-03
Updated: 2015-01-03
Packaged: 2018-03-05 05:06:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3107174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingiamesbible/pseuds/kingiamesbible
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Johnny and Peter go christmas tree shopping and Johnny fears that Peter is going to be more interested in fir trees this christmas than he will be in his arguably much hotter boyfriend</p>
            </blockquote>





	Maybe I'll just burn the damn tree down

**Author's Note:**

> this is a really late christmas present for my awesome pal shadi! you are the reason i now ship this (OVER SPIDEYPOOL) so i hope you enjoy it you nerd <3

Three hours. Three freaking hours they had been out in the cold looking at fir tree after goddamn fir tree, but not one of them was good enough. There was always some minuscule flaw that prevented each tree they looked at from fitting the bill. Why, oh why, had he ever thought it would be a good idea to ask a perfectionist like Peter Parker on a date. 

Johnny hated Christmas. Theoretically, it was great. All the lights in Times Square, the carol singing, hot chocolate, cuddles on the sofa, and if you were lucky, deep, crisp, glistening white snow. But in practice, it was the shittiest excuse for a holiday Johnny could think of. It was cold, wet, and stressful, and they'd spent three whole hours of Johnny's precious time drooling over potential Christmas trees which, in Johnny's opinion, all looked exactly the same. 

What was worse, Peter's reasons were completely ridiculous. It's not a good shape, it wouldn't look right in the window, it wouldn't fit in our front room (alright, Johnny had to admit that was fair enough), the branches aren't thick enough; there was always something, and then Johnny would groan and Peter would drag him to the next one. 

Overall, it was not how Johnny would have liked to spend the day. 

He'd begged Peter to let him stay at home. He had pretended to be sick with flu. He had offered to do chores (Peter's included) while he went out Christmas tree shopping. He had even gone so far as to ask Ben to pretend he needed help with something. But Peter wasn't having it. He said it would be a 'nice bonding experience,' but so far it had been far from nice and the only bonding they'd done was arguing over why the circumference of the bottom of this tree was wrong. Johnny was pretty sure he'd truly regret being part of this relationship over the Christmas holiday. 

Granted, Peter was great when he wanted to be. He was smart, funny and compassionate as well as sarcastic and snarky and basically everything Johnny looked for in a guy, but he was also really, really pernickety about some things. If he wanted something done, it had to be done properly and at the highest quality otherwise it was no good. Sometimes this was a benefit; he wouldn't bring Johnny breakfast in bed unless it was top notch, or let Johnny hand in an essay until he'd proof read and edited it for him, or let the worker at Starbucks give him his drink until he'd spelt Johnny's name right (which had to be done surprisingly frequently and which Johnny found kind of embarrassing but also really adorable) and Johnny loved Peter for all those things. However, Peter's apparent issue with every Christmas tree so far was frustrating Johnny immensely. Why did he even have to come if Peter wasn't interested in his opinion? He could've been using his time in much better ways. For example, he could be using his heat to melt the snow in the driveway. Or he could finish wrapping presents for his friends and family. Or he could start making dinner reservations for Christmas Eve. 

Alright so he'd probably just sleep or play video games in reality, but he'd probably get round to doing something useful eventually. Maybe after a call or seven from his sister. Instead he was stuck with his stupid 'I want this Christmas to be perfect' perfectionist boyfriend. Why was he dating this guy again?

"Hey," Peter said suddenly, snapping Johnny out of his thoughts of fir tree-related death, "I found the perfect one. Thanks for sticking with me."

Then he leant up and planted a kiss on Johnny's cheek, smiling up at him and giving his gloved hand a squeeze. 

Ah, yes. That was why. Because even though the winter winds were freezing the human torch's fiery abilities numb, Peter still had the power to fill him warmth with just a smile. 

Jesus Christ, when did he turn into such a sap?

 

They had gone to get a coffee after telling the man to save the one they wanted (who looked somewhat fatigued as well after following the pair around while Peter did his bone-picking), as what Peter called a reward for being so diligent in their quest. Well, as least he knew when he was being a pernickety asshole. Then Peter took him to his favourite bakery and bought the Christmas cookies Johnny had been eyeing in the window the day before, and gave him the bigger half of the one they split. He even kissed him as they stopped among the fairy-lit trees near Times Square, and they just stood there for a while, wrapped in each other's arms, with Johnny's heart fluttering like a butterfly in a windstorm. This was a rare treat, as Peter wasn't so big on showing too much affection in public, and hey, after spending hours on end looking at trees, Johnny definitely deserved it. After that they started heading back to collect the tree, and Johnny realised that Peter's sudden kindness was probably related to the fact that he was undoubtedly going to make him help to decorate and finish all his chores anyway. His heart sunk a little. But honestly, Peter looked so happy and he didn't have it in him to refuse his help. Damn that boy. 

Sure enough, as soon as they had got the tree upright, Peter started bustling about trying to find the box of extensive decorations and frantically going over all the things that needed to be done before everyone came over for the Christmas party they were allegedly hosting (Johnny had found out that morning and his shock had resulted in a new burn in the ceiling and a very cross Peter). 

"Give me time to warm up first, jeez," Johnny sighed while Peter flapped about and ushered him off the sofa. 

"You don't need time to warm up, hothead," Peter retorted, having found the huge box and heaving onto their living room floor. "Make yourself warm."

Johnny huffed and raised his temperature a little, but only to the point where his shirt started to smoke. Once Peter was satisfied Johnny had warmed himself up, he shoved a box of baubles into his stomach and instructed him meticulously on hanging them up on the tree. The prickly branches seemed to taunt him; they knew Johnny was miffed that an inanimate object (namely the goddamn tree) was getting more of Peter's attention than he was. As he slid the coloured spheres onto each branch he glared up at the tree, muttering death threats and curses at it under his breath, then denying he had even spoken when Peter claimed to have heard him 'babbling to himself like a madman.'

While Johnny catered to the accursed tree, Peter was flitting around taking care of other decorations. For example, his careful hands hung faux-fir tinsel around each of the four picture frames in the hallway, hanging a sprig of holly at the top centre and finishing the display with a careful spray of fake snow along the top. Then he moved to the stairs and slowly, neatly, wrapped more tinsel - silver this time - around the banister. Next, he used a precise string of his webbing to line the front doorframe and all the doorframes on the bottom floor with strings of coloured fairy lights, attaching a small bell at the centre so it would ring merrily whenever a door was opened. Finally, he dashed outside and pinned the wreath he had hand-crafted from thin metal wire, holly leaves, thin branches plus a lot of webbing and a surplus amount of glitter to their front door, and seeing as the evening was already settling in, he flicked on the white Christmas lights he had already arranged on the outside of the house. He managed to admire his handiwork for a full five seconds before Johnny was yelling at him to come inside before he got frostbite. 

When Peter stepped back inside, Johnny was surveying the decor, a small smile on his face. Peter was so careful with everything; everything he did seen through with even the tiniest detail made to be important, and it payed off. Sure, sometimes it could be annoying, but Johnny couldn't help but find it sweet. 

"Looks great Pete," he said as Peter shut the door, making the bell chime quietly. Peter beamed. "Hey, also, I got something while we were out."

"Oh yeah?" Peter eyed his boyfriend suspiciously as he rummaged in the pocket of his hoodie, taking a few cautious steps closer. 

"This!" Johnny exclaimed excitedly, holding up a small sprig of mistletoe, decorated with a thin white ribbon tied into a tiny bow. He waved it in Peter's face, grinning broadly and Peter laughed with pleasant shock. 

"Johnny!" he cried in protest, although he was laughing, pushing Johnny to arm's length when he held it above them and made kissy faces. But Johnny grabbed him by the waist and made him giggle and he kissed him anyway. 

Peter took the blond's hand in his own and wheedled the sprig out from between his fingers, taking a step back from Johnny without his smile disappearing. Johnny watched as he turned slowly, reached up and hung the mistletoe above the door to the front room and then pivoted back round, looking downright angelic under the colourful fairy lights. He held out his hand to Johnny, smiling.

“Come here,” he said quietly. Johnny grinned.

The first guest arrived at 8:40, ten minutes after they officially opened for business. After that, friends and family just about flooded in, including Susan who proceeded to lead Johnny to the couch and quiz him on every aspect of his life she could think of. Almost everyone complimented their decorations, and Peter’s face glowed with happiness each time, which made Johnny smile too. It was impossible not to. Reed even came over and told him how great their tree looked after Peter had told him Johnny had been the one who had decorated it. That made his chest swell with pride a little (not that he would ever admit that to Peter of course).

Throughout the evening, Peter would catch Johnny’s eye and smile at him in his bashful way while he stood with relatives and friends of his. And honestly, Johnny couldn’t help but be filled with affection at the sight of his boyfriend so happy. He had helped do that. He, Johnny Storm, had been a part of putting that gorgeous grin on his face.

Peter may have been a perfectionist with annoying habits sometimes, but at least with him around, Johnny wouldn’t have to use his powers to keep his heart warm over winter.


End file.
